Signature-gathering machine.



PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904.

- 0. A. JUENGST.-

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1900.-

NO MODEL.

frame a.

Patented August 23, 1904. I

I. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. JUENGST, OF CROTON FALLS, NEW YORK.

SIGNATURE-GATHERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 768,461, dated August23, 1904.

Application filed July 18, 1900. Serial No. 24,017. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. J UENes'r, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Oroton Falls, in the county of Wcstchester and Stateof New York, have invented an Improvement in Signature-GatheringMachines, of

which the following is a specification. My invention relates, to thatpart of signature-gathering machines Where the signatures as deliveredupon a carrier and superimposed upon supporting devices above the lineof travel of the carrier, Wh1ch group of signae tures or sheets aslifted comes beneath the stack of slgnatures or sheets to increase themass upon the same common supports. These parts are yielding andpreferably spring-con trolled. The lifting-blades are connected to acommon support uponwhich they are adjustable and the vertical movementof the lifting-blades and common support is effected in any desiredmanner.

, 1n the drawings, Figure 1 is an end eleva tion of a frame and thedevices of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section and partialelevation on the dotted lines w 00 of Fig. 1.

The frame a is one of a series employed in a signature-gathering machineand specifically the end frame of the machine.

5 represents a bed-plate, and 6 an upright plate, the tWo parts forminga bracket secured by bolts 2 to the outer surface of the This bracketstructure is provided With bearings 3 4, preferably in pairs, and With apair of bracket-arms 5. The bed-plate bof the bracket structure isprovided With an extension or arm Z2 slotted to receive the guide-post0, secured to the bed-plate of the bracket by the nuts 6, Whichpreferablycomes at opposite sides of the extension or arm I provideother guide-posts c c in pairs,

the posts a being connected to a bracketrarm or support (Z upon theframe a, and the guideposts 0 connected to a movable arm d, which 'post0 coming at the end of the line of travel of the signatu'res'or sheetsupon the carrier and also at the end or outside of the signatures orsheets in the stack upon the higher plane. r

c represent offset bars forming slides of the signature-raceway, and fis a signaturecarrier, the same having bracket parts f thereon atintervals and transversely of the carrier for moving the superimposedsignatures or sheets along by a movement imparted to the carrier. Themovement of the carrier, the devices for actuating the same, and themanner of feeding along the signatures or sheets thereby form no part ofmy present invention. A

9 represents. the superimposed signatures or sheets. These at theiropposite edges lie upon the offset bars ac, Which form guides therefor,and at an intermediate point upon the signatureecarrier f and upon afixed longitudinal bar f so that they are supported not only at theedges, but at the intermediate point, and are thus kept in form. Iemploy a series of lifter-blades 7L, preferably of the form shown inFig. 2--that is, With a convex curved upper edge, over which the groupof blades is provided with a base-bar it, the basebar being undercut atthe right hand side Each of these lifter-- (see-Fig. 2) and at theleft-hand side having a bar-8 with an undercut edge, which parts takenin their combined relation are adapted to engage and be clamped to theplatform '1'. This platform has opposite inclined edges to fit theundercut edges of the said base-bars and bar 8, and when the nutclamping the bar 8 is loosened to slightly free the bar the saidlifter-blades can be moved longitudinally of the platform 2', so as toadjust the same to the desired position.

70 71: are rods parallel, set vertically and passing through thebearings 3 L of the upright plate 6 of the bracket. The upper ends ofthese rods 70 7c are secured to the under surface of the platform 2Adjacent cranks Z on a shaft Z in the brackets 5 as bearings togetherform a bell-crank lever, to one end of which the connecting-rod Z ispivotally secured. To the other end of this bell-crank lever one end ofa link m is connected, the other end thereof being pivotally mounted toa block or sleeve of the rod Z2. The connecting-rod Z is actuated by anysuitable mechanism or power to impart a swinging movement to thebellcrank-lever device Z and shaft Z. It will be seen that this movementaetuates the link m and raises and lowers the rods Z; 70 and theplatform 71, imparting to the lifter-blades II, a vertical motion.

a 0 are yielding support-plates, shown as of curved form, connected attheir lower ends to hinge-blocks a 0, pivoted to the hinge-plates 9,which in turn are secured to the upper surface of the bed-plate Z) ofthe bracket structure, and I employ springs 9, at one end connected tothe hinge-plates and at their other ends to pins in the yieldingsupport-plates a 0. These plates n 0 are preferably formed withstop-blades 10, which come outside of the lower ends of the pairs ofguide-posts 0 0 while the upper ends of the support-plates 12/ 0 risepreferably higher than the upper ends of the blades 10 and come betweenthe pairs of guide-posts 0 c to support the stack of superimposedsignatures or sheets which rest on the upper ends of said plates a 0. Iprefer to give a slight curve to the upper edge of the plates n 0similar to the curve of the upper edge of the lifter-blades h, thefunction of the springs 9 being to maintain the sup port-plates a 0 inaninitial position, in which the upper ends of the stop-blades 10 comeagainst the outer surfaces of the pairs of guide-posts c 0 In theoperation of the device and as the superimposed signatures or sheets arebrought along progressively by the carrier f an upward movement isimparted by the connecting-rod Z shaft Z, and bell-crank-lever de: viceZ to the rods 7'; Zn, platform z', and series of lifter-blades it. Theselifter-blades as they rise take with them the pile of signatures orsheets 9, raise the same against the yielding support-plates w o and theunder side of the stack of signatures or sheets. In so doing they pushaside the yielding sup1mrtplates w o and raise the stack of signaturesor sheets sufficient for the sup eiort-plates o to return beneath thelowermost signatures or sheets. As the lifter-blades descend thesignatures or sheets just raised form part of the stack and are leftupon and supported by the supportplates a 0, the series of lifter-blades/1, the platform 1', and the rods Z? Z1 descending to their lowestposition ready to receive upon 'said blades the next pile or group ofsuperimposed signatures or sheets from the carrier with its progressivemovement.

I do not herein limit myself to the precise, construction of theyielding sup1')ortplates u 0, but prefer to limit myself to forming theseries of curved lifting-blades Z1 andthe support-plates a and o withconvex curved upper edges, because thereby distinct functions areperformed, namely: The groups of superimposed signatures or sheetseasily overrun the lifter-blades as advanced by the carrier, and saidsignatures or sheets as lifted by the blades and as supported by thesupport-plates a and 0 readily conform to the said curved upper edgesand in so doing assume the form of a flattened arch wherein it issubstantially impossible for the signatures or sheets to sag.

I claim as my invention* 1. In a signaturegathering machine, thecombination with a carrier for successively delivering superimposedgroups of sigmuaires or sheets, of devices in line with the carrierhaving convex curved upper edges adapted to receive upon them the groupsof signatures or sheets, means for raising said devices with each groupof signatures or sheets and yielding spring-controlled devices in ahigher plane adapted to receive and support the groups of signatures orsheets m ii/(MW as successively raised and stacked.

2. In a signature-gathering machine, the combination with a carrier forsuccessively delivering superimposed groups of signatures or sheets, ofa series of lifter-blades in line with the carrier having convex curvedupper edges adapted to receive upon them the groups of signatures orsheets, means for raising said lifter-blades with each group ofsignatures or sheets and other devices in a higher plane adapted toreceive and support the groups of signatures or sheets m ll/(Mxu assuccessively raised and stacked.

3. In a signature-gathering machine, the combination with a carrier forsuccessively delivering superimposed groups of signatures or sheets, ofa series of lifter-blades in line with the carrier having convex curvedupper edges adapted to receive upon them the groups of signatures orsheets, means for raisingsaid lifter-blades with each group ofsignatures or sheets and yielding spring-controlled devices in. a higherplane adapted to receive and sup-- port the groups of signaturesorsheets-en' massc, as successively raised andistacked.

4. In a signature-gathering machine, the combination with a carrier forsuccessively delivering superimposed groupsof signatures or sheets, ofdevices in line with the carrier adapted to receive thereon each groupof signatures or sheets, a platform to, which said devices are adjustably secured vertically-movable rods to which said platform isconnected, a shaft, a connecting-rod, a link and a bellcrank-leverdevice for vertically moving the rods, platform and said devices witheach group of signatures or sheets, and other devices in a higher planeadapted to receive and support the groups of signatures o'r sheets enmasse, as successively raised and stacked.

5. In a signaturegathering machine, the combination With a carrier forsuccessively delivering superimposed groups of signatures or sheets, ofa series of lifter-blades in line with the carrier adapted to receivethereon each group of signatures or sheets, a platform to which saidlifter-blades are adjustably secured, vertically-movable rods to whichsaid platform is connected, a shaft, a connectingrod, a link and abell-crank-lever device for vertically moving the rods, platform andsaid lifter-blades with each group of signatures or sheets, and otherdevices in a higher plane adapted to receive and support the groups ofsignatures or sheets, en masse, as successively raised and stacked.

6. In a signaturegathering machine, the

combination with a carrier for successively delivering superimposedgroups of signatures or sheets, of devices 1n line with the carrleradapted to receive thereon each group of signatures or sheets, aplatform to which said devices areadjustably secured,verticallymov ablerods to which said platform is connected, a shaft, a connecting-rod, alink and a bellcrank-lever device for, vertically moving the rods,platform and said devices with each group of signatures or sheets,yielding sup port-plates pivotally mounted and spring-controlled withtheir upper edges in a higher plane and adapted to receive and supportthe groups of signatures or sheets, en masse, as successively raised andstacked.

7. In a signaturegathering machine, the combination with a carrier forsuccessively delivering superimposed groups of signatures sheets,yielding support-1+ plates pivotally mounted and spring-controlled withtheir upper edgesin a higher plane and adapted to.

at opposite sides of the carrier pivotally mounted and spring-controlledwith their upper ends in a higher plane adapted to receive and supportthe groups of signatures or sheets en masse, as successively raised andstacked.-

9. In a signature-gathering machine, the

combination with an end frame, of a bracket structure comprisinga'bed-plate b and an upright and slotted plate 6, bearing-brackets alsoformed with said structure, a shaft mounted in the bearing-brackets,vertical rods passing through the bearings parallel with one another, abell-crank-lever device mounted on said shaft, a connecting-rod to oneend thereof, and a link from the opposite end thereof to a connectionwith one of the vertical rods,

whereby a vertical up-and-down movement is imparted to-the rods, aplatform at the upper end of and connecting both of said rods and aseries of lifter-blades parallelwith one another and ad justablysecuredto said platform.

10. In a signature-gathering machine, the

combination with an end frame, of a bracket device comprising abed-plate 6 and an upright plate 6 secured to the frame, hingeplates 7"secured to the bed-plate I) at opposite sides, hinge-blocks pivotallyconnected to the hinge-plates, yielding support-plates secured to thehinge-blocks and rising above the same, stops near the upper ends ofsaid supportplates for limiting-their movement in one direction, andsprings for keeping the same against said limiting-stops, substantiallyas set forth.

11. In a signature-gathering machine, the combination with an end frame,of a bracket device comprising a bed-plate b and an upright plate Z)secured-to the frame, hingeplates a" secured to the bed-plate Izatopposite sides, hinge-blocks pivotally connected to the hinge-plates,yielding support-plates secured to the hinge-blocks and rising above thesame, and having stop-blades 10 secured thereto,

limiting-stops coming between the upper ends of said plates and bladeswhereby the upper ends of said plates come between the limiting IO thestack of signatures or sheets upon the upper ends of saidsupporting-p111tes, suhstantially as set Forth.

Signed at New York city, in the count of New York and State 01 New York,this 15th day of June, A. D. 1900.

CHARLES A. J U EN (1 ST.

\Vitnesses:

E. T. THoMAs, HENRY JoimsoN.

